Monday, 28 July 2008

I have been so mean to Gordon Brown I thought I would upload a few happy photos of him...

How about this for a statesman-like pout?

Here he is talking to young offenders, taking a tough line with them.

Here he is making Jacquie Smith laugh uproariously

Here he is encouraging us all to do more sport

Here he is reacting to the Glasgow East byelection result

Here he shows his love of the meek, and is mentoring a disadvantaged individual who can only manage half a NuLabour Smile.

This last shows Gordon as a happy child with father. Notice how Gordon's big brother ducks away from his spiritual and noble father. See what a relaxed little darling Gordon was, how excited he was to have his photo taken, pictured on the left.

Update H/T Lakelander

And here he is encouraging "Midnight Football" fnar, fnar

It is obvious what a great statesman we have running the country, he doesn't look a bit mad when he smiles.

Friday, 25 July 2008

Wednesday, 23 July 2008

Ok, I am a hippy. But Daisy has me thinking. You are right Daisy. My life will be a continuum of angry frustrated letters to massive organisations, followed by unsatisfactory outcomes, if I don't do something about it. Perhaps I need to embrace the inner hippy and just drop out of sight, keep what money I earn under the wood pile, and spend the rest of my life milking goats.

I love yurts. The first one I ever saw was on the northern most tip of the most western aspect of the British Isles. On Ardnamurchan. It was perched on this weather ravaged cliff, but because it was lined with seal skin it was extraordinarily still inside. You could have dropped a feather and it would have fallen straight downwards. It was simple but so very cosy inside. I love the idea of living in a round construction. Fantastic Feng shui.

Sunday, 20 July 2008

I was sorting paperwork yesterday and started to divide my tasks, placing the paperwork pertaining to each task in a separate clear plastic folder.

There is the letter to Lloyds Bank, who not only charged me for non payment of a monthly standing order I had cancelled two months previously (they must have been presented with a request for payment) but also told me twice on the phone that I am not me as I failed to answer all their security questions correctly.A letter to the manager at my branch elicited a proforma letter from a central complaints department saying they will respond within four, then eight weeks. Meanwhile I cannot phone my bank.

Then there is the letter to NPower who presented an electricity direct debit for £79 when they had agreed that £53 was an adequate payment. I am waiting for them to refund the £63 charges I incurred as a result of the resultant unauthorised exceeding of my overdraft (very closely watched as you can imagine!)

I am ignoring the TV people for now

Then there is the housing association that runs my estate, who in spite of my paying service charges (lighting, cleaning of paths etc) still write to the woman who owned the house four years ago.

My current bug is however, the Tax Credit people, who want £986.20 paid back to them. I don't owe it to them, but they have now sent me four bills of differing sums with no indication of how they worked out my debt to them. I stopped claiming in 2006 as it seemed pointless and complicated. I don't dare claim Tax Credit even though doing the Tax Credit Calculator suggests I am entitled to over £3k a year from them (filled it out today just to see).

So I have written a number of angry and enquiring letters, copied the bills and sent them back to the Tax Credit people with copies to David Cameron, David Heath (my MP), Nick Clegg and this last, copied below, to Gordon Brown.

Gordon BrownHouse of CommonsSW1A 9AA

Dear Mr Brown

I am copying you my enquiry to the Tax Credit Debt Recovery Department. I thought you may be interested in how the Tax Credit system “helps” self employed mumstrying to stay off benefits.

It is hardly seems worth the trouble of working and training hard when I live around large happy families who all sign on. Perhaps I should give up working, have some IVF, put on 6 disabling stone, and spend my late 40s and 50s bringing up triplets?

I hope you find it enlightening, just how these things work in the real world. If you wonder about my demographic I am middle class white professional owner occupier of ex housing association property, mother of one.

I cannot afford the tax you are charging me, especially when you are going to spend it on legal challenges to Freedom of Information requests about MP’s expenses, or incredible six figure bonuses for heads of department who have lost my personal data, (when they should in fact have resigned on the spot, relinquishing pension rights.)

Monday, 14 July 2008

Today was a wonderful day. Pig, slightly belatedly, celebrated his first birthday by going back to the Somerset levels to meet his mum Daisy and sister Poppy. Although he hasn't seen them since he left in September they greeted with recognition, ease and joy.

Remember this little fella? This is Pig when we first met him, talking to his mum Daisy.

This was Pig today, greeting his sister Poppy, while his mum Daisy looks on.

This is Pig's sister Poppy

This is Pig, Poppy and Daisy, contemplating going for a stick..

This is Pig, being the bravest.

Pig, swimming with his little mum Daisy.

Pig, Daisy, and Poppy

Pig tries to impress but the bubblegum keeps bursting back on his nose....

Monday, 7 July 2008

Hatfield GirlOne of the best bloggers I read. Anyway Hatfield Girl, like others, including myself, collects postcards, over the years, from visits here and there. This is a postcard I have from a trip to the V & A many moons ago and it is a 1938 Ferragamo velvet platform shoe. I am sending it to you HG via blog.